Which has stronger valuation & earnings, MRK or AMGN?

Merck & Co., Inc. has higher revenue and earnings than Amgen. Amgen is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Merck & Co., Inc., indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Company Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Merck & Co., Inc. $65.01B 4.33 $18.25B $3.55 32.12 Amgen $36.75B 4.96 $7.71B $14.37 23.49

Is MRK or AMGN more profitable?

Amgen has a net margin of 20.96% compared to Merck & Co., Inc.'s net margin of 13.59%. Amgen's return on equity of 137.41% beat Merck & Co., Inc.'s return on equity. Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Merck & Co., Inc. 13.59% 27.55% 10.73% Amgen 20.96% 137.41% 13.28%

Does the media refer more to MRK or AMGN?

In the previous week, Merck & Co., Inc. had 25 more articles in the media than Amgen. MarketBeat recorded 65 mentions for Merck & Co., Inc. and 40 mentions for Amgen. Merck & Co., Inc.'s average media sentiment score of 1.51 beat Amgen's score of 1.36 indicating that Merck & Co., Inc. is being referred to more favorably in the media. Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment Merck & Co., Inc. 59 Very Positive mention(s) 1 Positive mention(s) 3 Neutral mention(s) 0 Negative mention(s) 2 Very Negative mention(s) Very Positive Amgen 32 Very Positive mention(s) 3 Positive mention(s) 4 Neutral mention(s) 0 Negative mention(s) 0 Very Negative mention(s) Positive

Which has better valuation & earnings, MRK or GILD?

Merck & Co., Inc. has higher revenue and earnings than Gilead Sciences. Gilead Sciences is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Merck & Co., Inc., indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Company Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Merck & Co., Inc. $65.01B 4.33 $18.25B $3.55 32.12 Gilead Sciences $29.44B 5.22 $8.51B $7.34 16.86

Does the media favor MRK or GILD?

In the previous week, Merck & Co., Inc. had 11 more articles in the media than Gilead Sciences. MarketBeat recorded 65 mentions for Merck & Co., Inc. and 54 mentions for Gilead Sciences. Merck & Co., Inc.'s average media sentiment score of 1.51 beat Gilead Sciences' score of 1.36 indicating that Merck & Co., Inc. is being referred to more favorably in the media. Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment Merck & Co., Inc. 59 Very Positive mention(s) 1 Positive mention(s) 3 Neutral mention(s) 0 Negative mention(s) 2 Very Negative mention(s) Very Positive Gilead Sciences 45 Very Positive mention(s) 4 Positive mention(s) 2 Neutral mention(s) 0 Negative mention(s) 0 Very Negative mention(s) Positive

Which has stronger earnings & valuation, MRK or MRNA?

Merck & Co., Inc. has higher revenue and earnings than Moderna. Moderna is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Merck & Co., Inc., indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Company Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Merck & Co., Inc. $65.01B 4.33 $18.25B $3.55 32.12 Moderna $1.94B 13.05 -$2.82B -$8.15 N/A

Is MRK or MRNA more profitable?

Merck & Co., Inc. has a net margin of 13.59% compared to Moderna's net margin of -143.55%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s return on equity of 27.55% beat Moderna's return on equity. Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Merck & Co., Inc. 13.59% 27.55% 10.73% Moderna -143.55% -26.64% -19.32%

Does the media favor MRK or MRNA?

In the previous week, Merck & Co., Inc. had 15 more articles in the media than Moderna. MarketBeat recorded 65 mentions for Merck & Co., Inc. and 50 mentions for Moderna. Merck & Co., Inc.'s average media sentiment score of 1.51 beat Moderna's score of 0.46 indicating that Merck & Co., Inc. is being referred to more favorably in the media. Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment Merck & Co., Inc. 59 Very Positive mention(s) 1 Positive mention(s) 3 Neutral mention(s) 0 Negative mention(s) 2 Very Negative mention(s) Very Positive Moderna 23 Very Positive mention(s) 5 Positive mention(s) 8 Neutral mention(s) 12 Negative mention(s) 0 Very Negative mention(s) Neutral

Does the media refer more to MRK or VRTX?

In the previous week, Merck & Co., Inc. had 30 more articles in the media than Vertex Pharmaceuticals. MarketBeat recorded 65 mentions for Merck & Co., Inc. and 35 mentions for Vertex Pharmaceuticals. Merck & Co., Inc.'s average media sentiment score of 1.51 beat Vertex Pharmaceuticals' score of 1.25 indicating that Merck & Co., Inc. is being referred to more favorably in the media. Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment Merck & Co., Inc. 59 Very Positive mention(s) 1 Positive mention(s) 3 Neutral mention(s) 0 Negative mention(s) 2 Very Negative mention(s) Very Positive Vertex Pharmaceuticals 26 Very Positive mention(s) 4 Positive mention(s) 3 Neutral mention(s) 1 Negative mention(s) 0 Very Negative mention(s) Positive

Which has better earnings & valuation, ABBV or MRK?

Merck & Co., Inc. has higher revenue and earnings than AbbVie. Merck & Co., Inc. is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than AbbVie, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Company Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio AbbVie $61.16B 6.26 $4.23B $2.03 106.71 Merck & Co., Inc. $65.01B 4.33 $18.25B $3.55 32.12

Is ABBV or MRK more profitable?

Merck & Co., Inc. has a net margin of 13.59% compared to AbbVie's net margin of 5.79%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s return on equity of 27.55% beat AbbVie's return on equity. Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets AbbVie 5.79% -576.45% 13.39% Merck & Co., Inc. 13.59% 27.55% 10.73%

Does the media refer more to ABBV or MRK?

In the previous week, Merck & Co., Inc. had 3 more articles in the media than AbbVie. MarketBeat recorded 65 mentions for Merck & Co., Inc. and 62 mentions for AbbVie. Merck & Co., Inc.'s average media sentiment score of 1.51 beat AbbVie's score of 1.19 indicating that Merck & Co., Inc. is being referred to more favorably in the news media. Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment AbbVie 49 Very Positive mention(s) 4 Positive mention(s) 6 Neutral mention(s) 1 Negative mention(s) 1 Very Negative mention(s) Positive Merck & Co., Inc. 59 Very Positive mention(s) 1 Positive mention(s) 3 Neutral mention(s) 0 Negative mention(s) 2 Very Negative mention(s) Very Positive

Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) Competitors

$114.04 +0.17 (+0.15%)

Closing price 06/18/2026 03:59 PM Eastern

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$114.07 +0.04 (+0.03%)

As of 06/18/2026 07:55 PM Eastern

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MRK vs. AMGN, GILD, MRNA, VRTX, and ABBV

Should you buy Merck & Co., Inc. stock or one of its competitors? MarketBeat compares Merck & Co., Inc. with other companies and stocks that may be similar based on industry, sector, market capitalization, business model, investor interest, or shared news coverage. Companies and stocks commonly compared with Merck & Co., Inc. include Amgen (AMGN), Gilead Sciences (GILD), Moderna (MRNA), Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX), and AbbVie (ABBV). These companies are all part of the "medical" sector.

How does Merck & Co., Inc. compare to Amgen?

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) and Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) are both large-cap medical companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their risk, media sentiment, dividends, profitability, analyst recommendations, valuation, institutional ownership and earnings.

Merck & Co., Inc. pays an annual dividend of $3.40 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.0%. Amgen pays an annual dividend of $10.08 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.0%. Merck & Co., Inc. pays out 95.8% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Amgen pays out 70.1% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Merck & Co., Inc. has raised its dividend for 14 consecutive years and Amgen has raised its dividend for 14 consecutive years. Amgen is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

Merck & Co., Inc. has higher revenue and earnings than Amgen. Amgen is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Merck & Co., Inc., indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Company	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Merck & Co., Inc.	$65.01B	4.33	$18.25B	$3.55	32.12
Amgen	$36.75B	4.96	$7.71B	$14.37	23.49

In the previous week, Merck & Co., Inc. had 25 more articles in the media than Amgen. MarketBeat recorded 65 mentions for Merck & Co., Inc. and 40 mentions for Amgen. Merck & Co., Inc.'s average media sentiment score of 1.51 beat Amgen's score of 1.36 indicating that Merck & Co., Inc. is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
Merck & Co., Inc.	59 Very Positive mention(s)	1 Positive mention(s)	3 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	2 Very Negative mention(s)	Very Positive
Amgen	32 Very Positive mention(s)	3 Positive mention(s)	4 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive

Amgen has a net margin of 20.96% compared to Merck & Co., Inc.'s net margin of 13.59%. Amgen's return on equity of 137.41% beat Merck & Co., Inc.'s return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Merck & Co., Inc.	13.59%	27.55%	10.73%
Amgen	20.96%	137.41%	13.28%

Merck & Co., Inc. has a beta of 0.21, suggesting that its stock price is 79% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Amgen has a beta of 0.42, suggesting that its stock price is 58% less volatile than the broader market.

Merck & Co., Inc. presently has a consensus price target of $128.18, indicating a potential upside of 12.40%. Amgen has a consensus price target of $354.42, indicating a potential upside of 4.98%. Given Merck & Co., Inc.'s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, research analysts plainly believe Merck & Co., Inc. is more favorable than Amgen.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Merck & Co., Inc.	0 Sell rating(s)	7 Hold rating(s)	11 Buy rating(s)	1 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.68
Amgen	2 Sell rating(s)	15 Hold rating(s)	12 Buy rating(s)	2 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.45

76.1% of Merck & Co., Inc. shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 76.5% of Amgen shares are held by institutional investors. 0.2% of Merck & Co., Inc. shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 0.9% of Amgen shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Summary

Amgen beats Merck & Co., Inc. on 12 of the 19 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does Merck & Co., Inc. compare to Gilead Sciences?

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) and Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) are both large-cap medical companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, media sentiment, analyst recommendations, earnings, risk, valuation, profitability and institutional ownership.

Merck & Co., Inc. has a beta of 0.21, indicating that its stock price is 79% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Gilead Sciences has a beta of 0.31, indicating that its stock price is 69% less volatile than the broader market.

Merck & Co., Inc. has higher revenue and earnings than Gilead Sciences. Gilead Sciences is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Merck & Co., Inc., indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Company	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Merck & Co., Inc.	$65.01B	4.33	$18.25B	$3.55	32.12
Gilead Sciences	$29.44B	5.22	$8.51B	$7.34	16.86

Merck & Co., Inc. pays an annual dividend of $3.40 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.0%. Gilead Sciences pays an annual dividend of $3.28 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.7%. Merck & Co., Inc. pays out 95.8% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Gilead Sciences pays out 44.7% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Merck & Co., Inc. has increased its dividend for 14 consecutive years and Gilead Sciences has increased its dividend for 10 consecutive years. Merck & Co., Inc. is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

76.1% of Merck & Co., Inc. shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 83.7% of Gilead Sciences shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.2% of Merck & Co., Inc. shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 0.3% of Gilead Sciences shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

In the previous week, Merck & Co., Inc. had 11 more articles in the media than Gilead Sciences. MarketBeat recorded 65 mentions for Merck & Co., Inc. and 54 mentions for Gilead Sciences. Merck & Co., Inc.'s average media sentiment score of 1.51 beat Gilead Sciences' score of 1.36 indicating that Merck & Co., Inc. is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
Merck & Co., Inc.	59 Very Positive mention(s)	1 Positive mention(s)	3 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	2 Very Negative mention(s)	Very Positive
Gilead Sciences	45 Very Positive mention(s)	4 Positive mention(s)	2 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive

Merck & Co., Inc. currently has a consensus target price of $128.18, indicating a potential upside of 12.40%. Gilead Sciences has a consensus target price of $158.41, indicating a potential upside of 28.00%. Given Gilead Sciences' stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Gilead Sciences is more favorable than Merck & Co., Inc..

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Merck & Co., Inc.	0 Sell rating(s)	7 Hold rating(s)	11 Buy rating(s)	1 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.68
Gilead Sciences	0 Sell rating(s)	4 Hold rating(s)	25 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.86

Gilead Sciences has a net margin of 30.99% compared to Merck & Co., Inc.'s net margin of 13.59%. Gilead Sciences' return on equity of 48.19% beat Merck & Co., Inc.'s return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Merck & Co., Inc.	13.59%	27.55%	10.73%
Gilead Sciences	30.99%	48.19%	18.28%

Summary

Gilead Sciences beats Merck & Co., Inc. on 12 of the 20 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does Merck & Co., Inc. compare to Moderna?

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) and Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA) are both large-cap medical companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, earnings, risk, dividends, media sentiment, profitability, institutional ownership and valuation.

Merck & Co., Inc. has a net margin of 13.59% compared to Moderna's net margin of -143.55%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s return on equity of 27.55% beat Moderna's return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Merck & Co., Inc.	13.59%	27.55%	10.73%
Moderna	-143.55%	-26.64%	-19.32%

Merck & Co., Inc. presently has a consensus price target of $128.18, indicating a potential upside of 12.40%. Moderna has a consensus price target of $36.60, indicating a potential downside of 42.78%. Given Merck & Co., Inc.'s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Merck & Co., Inc. is more favorable than Moderna.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Merck & Co., Inc.	0 Sell rating(s)	7 Hold rating(s)	11 Buy rating(s)	1 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.68
Moderna	5 Sell rating(s)	11 Hold rating(s)	2 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	1.83

76.1% of Merck & Co., Inc. shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 75.3% of Moderna shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.2% of Merck & Co., Inc. shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 10.8% of Moderna shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Merck & Co., Inc. has higher revenue and earnings than Moderna. Moderna is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Merck & Co., Inc., indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Company	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Merck & Co., Inc.	$65.01B	4.33	$18.25B	$3.55	32.12
Moderna	$1.94B	13.05	-$2.82B	-$8.15	N/A

In the previous week, Merck & Co., Inc. had 15 more articles in the media than Moderna. MarketBeat recorded 65 mentions for Merck & Co., Inc. and 50 mentions for Moderna. Merck & Co., Inc.'s average media sentiment score of 1.51 beat Moderna's score of 0.46 indicating that Merck & Co., Inc. is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
Merck & Co., Inc.	59 Very Positive mention(s)	1 Positive mention(s)	3 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	2 Very Negative mention(s)	Very Positive
Moderna	23 Very Positive mention(s)	5 Positive mention(s)	8 Neutral mention(s)	12 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Neutral

Merck & Co., Inc. has a beta of 0.21, indicating that its share price is 79% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Moderna has a beta of 1.05, indicating that its share price is 5% more volatile than the broader market.

Summary

Merck & Co., Inc. beats Moderna on 14 of the 17 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does Merck & Co., Inc. compare to Vertex Pharmaceuticals?

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) and Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) are both large-cap medical companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, earnings, institutional ownership, media sentiment, valuation, dividends, risk and profitability.

Merck & Co., Inc. currently has a consensus target price of $128.18, suggesting a potential upside of 12.40%. Vertex Pharmaceuticals has a consensus target price of $555.91, suggesting a potential upside of 23.09%. Given Vertex Pharmaceuticals' stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Vertex Pharmaceuticals is more favorable than Merck & Co., Inc..

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Merck & Co., Inc.	0 Sell rating(s)	7 Hold rating(s)	11 Buy rating(s)	1 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.68
Vertex Pharmaceuticals	0 Sell rating(s)	3 Hold rating(s)	22 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.88

Vertex Pharmaceuticals has a net margin of 35.51% compared to Merck & Co., Inc.'s net margin of 13.59%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s return on equity of 27.55% beat Vertex Pharmaceuticals' return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Merck & Co., Inc.	13.59%	27.55%	10.73%
Vertex Pharmaceuticals	35.51%	23.86%	17.13%

76.1% of Merck & Co., Inc. shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 91.0% of Vertex Pharmaceuticals shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.2% of Merck & Co., Inc. shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 0.2% of Vertex Pharmaceuticals shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

In the previous week, Merck & Co., Inc. had 30 more articles in the media than Vertex Pharmaceuticals. MarketBeat recorded 65 mentions for Merck & Co., Inc. and 35 mentions for Vertex Pharmaceuticals. Merck & Co., Inc.'s average media sentiment score of 1.51 beat Vertex Pharmaceuticals' score of 1.25 indicating that Merck & Co., Inc. is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
Merck & Co., Inc.	59 Very Positive mention(s)	1 Positive mention(s)	3 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	2 Very Negative mention(s)	Very Positive
Vertex Pharmaceuticals	26 Very Positive mention(s)	4 Positive mention(s)	3 Neutral mention(s)	1 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive

Merck & Co., Inc. has a beta of 0.21, indicating that its stock price is 79% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Vertex Pharmaceuticals has a beta of 0.3, indicating that its stock price is 70% less volatile than the broader market.

Merck & Co., Inc. has higher revenue and earnings than Vertex Pharmaceuticals. Vertex Pharmaceuticals is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Merck & Co., Inc., indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Company	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Merck & Co., Inc.	$65.01B	4.33	$18.25B	$3.55	32.12
Vertex Pharmaceuticals	$12.00B	9.55	$3.95B	$16.86	26.79

Summary

Vertex Pharmaceuticals beats Merck & Co., Inc. on 10 of the 17 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does Merck & Co., Inc. compare to AbbVie?

AbbVie (NYSE:ABBV) and Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) are both large-cap medical companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, earnings, dividends, institutional ownership, risk, profitability, valuation and media sentiment.

70.2% of AbbVie shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 76.1% of Merck & Co., Inc. shares are held by institutional investors. 0.1% of AbbVie shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 0.2% of Merck & Co., Inc. shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

In the previous week, Merck & Co., Inc. had 3 more articles in the media than AbbVie. MarketBeat recorded 65 mentions for Merck & Co., Inc. and 62 mentions for AbbVie. Merck & Co., Inc.'s average media sentiment score of 1.51 beat AbbVie's score of 1.19 indicating that Merck & Co., Inc. is being referred to more favorably in the news media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
AbbVie	49 Very Positive mention(s)	4 Positive mention(s)	6 Neutral mention(s)	1 Negative mention(s)	1 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive
Merck & Co., Inc.	59 Very Positive mention(s)	1 Positive mention(s)	3 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	2 Very Negative mention(s)	Very Positive

AbbVie presently has a consensus price target of $253.43, suggesting a potential upside of 16.99%. Merck & Co., Inc. has a consensus price target of $128.18, suggesting a potential upside of 12.40%. Given AbbVie's stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, research analysts clearly believe AbbVie is more favorable than Merck & Co., Inc..

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
AbbVie	0 Sell rating(s)	6 Hold rating(s)	16 Buy rating(s)	3 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.88
Merck & Co., Inc.	0 Sell rating(s)	7 Hold rating(s)	11 Buy rating(s)	1 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.68

Merck & Co., Inc. has higher revenue and earnings than AbbVie. Merck & Co., Inc. is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than AbbVie, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Company	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
AbbVie	$61.16B	6.26	$4.23B	$2.03	106.71
Merck & Co., Inc.	$65.01B	4.33	$18.25B	$3.55	32.12

Merck & Co., Inc. has a net margin of 13.59% compared to AbbVie's net margin of 5.79%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s return on equity of 27.55% beat AbbVie's return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
AbbVie	5.79%	-576.45%	13.39%
Merck & Co., Inc.	13.59%	27.55%	10.73%

AbbVie has a beta of 0.32, meaning that its stock price is 68% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Merck & Co., Inc. has a beta of 0.21, meaning that its stock price is 79% less volatile than the broader market.

AbbVie pays an annual dividend of $6.92 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.2%. Merck & Co., Inc. pays an annual dividend of $3.40 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.0%. AbbVie pays out 340.9% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Merck & Co., Inc. pays out 95.8% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. AbbVie has increased its dividend for 53 consecutive years and Merck & Co., Inc. has increased its dividend for 14 consecutive years. AbbVie is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

Summary

AbbVie and Merck & Co., Inc. tied by winning 10 of the 20 factors compared between the two stocks.

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New MarketBeat Followers Over Time

This chart shows the number of new MarketBeat users adding MRK and its top 5 competitors to their watchlist. Each company is represented with a line over a 90 day period.

Media Sentiment Over Time

This chart shows the average media sentiment of NYSE and its competitors over the past 90 days as caculated by MarketBeat. The averaged score is equivalent to the following: Very Negative Sentiment <= -1.5, Negative Sentiment > -1.5 and <= -0.5, Neutral Sentiment > -0.5 and < 0.5, Positive Sentiment >= 0.5 and < 1.5, and Very Positive Sentiment >= 1.5.

MRK vs. The Competition

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Metric	Merck & Co., Inc.	Large Cap Pharma Industry	Medical Sector	NYSE Exchange
Market Cap	$281.24B	$302.55B	$6.43B	$23.21B
Dividend Yield	2.99%	2.85%	2.68%	4.06%
P/E Ratio	32.12	27.04	24.75	31.61
Price / Sales	4.33	4.99	530.01	112.15
Price / Cash	9.97	12.90	45.07	24.44
Price / Book	5.37	7.72	10.80	4.68
Net Income	$18.25B	$11.61B	$3.57B	$1.08B
7 Day Performance	-4.21%	-3.12%	0.73%	-0.82%
1 Month Performance	0.91%	-1.17%	1.35%	1.61%
1 Year Performance	43.90%	18.96%	29.31%	24.87%

Merck & Co., Inc. Competitors List

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Company	MarketRank	Share Price	Analysts' Price Target	1Y Price Performance	Market Cap	Revenue	P/E Ratio	Employee Count	Indicator(s)
MRK Merck & Co., Inc.	4.6328 of 5 stars	$114.04 +0.1%	$128.18 +12.4%	+43.9%	$281.24B	$65.01B	32.12	75,000	Positive News High Trading Volume
AMGN Amgen	4.3413 of 5 stars	$356.12 +0.3%	$354.12 -0.6%	+16.6%	$191.79B	$36.75B	24.73	31,500	Positive News Analyst Forecast
GILD Gilead Sciences	4.9188 of 5 stars	$124.46 -0.9%	$156.93 +26.1%	+14.6%	$154.35B	$29.44B	16.94	17,000	Positive News Analyst Forecast Insider Trade
MRNA Moderna	1.221 of 5 stars	$50.14 +0.5%	$36.60 -27.0%	+151.8%	$19.91B	$1.94B	N/A	4,700	Trending News Analyst Forecast Insider Trade Options Volume
VRTX Vertex Pharmaceuticals	4.4623 of 5 stars	$447.99 +0.7%	$555.91 +24.1%	+0.7%	$113.59B	$12.00B	26.55	6,400	Positive News Analyst Upgrade Insider Trade Gap Up

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This page (NYSE:MRK) was last updated on 6/20/2026 by MarketBeat.com Staff.

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Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) Competitors

MRK vs. AMGN, GILD, MRNA, VRTX, and ABBV

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Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) Competitors

MRK vs. AMGN, GILD, MRNA, VRTX, and ABBV

How does Merck & Co., Inc. compare to Amgen?

Is MRK or AMGN a better dividend stock?

Which has stronger valuation & earnings, MRK or AMGN?

Does the media refer more to MRK or AMGN?

Is MRK or AMGN more profitable?

Which has more risk & volatility, MRK or AMGN?

Do analysts recommend MRK or AMGN?

Do insiders & institutionals believe in MRK or AMGN?

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How does Merck & Co., Inc. compare to Gilead Sciences?

Which has more volatility and risk, MRK or GILD?

Which has better valuation & earnings, MRK or GILD?

Is MRK or GILD a better dividend stock?

Do institutionals and insiders believe in MRK or GILD?

Does the media favor MRK or GILD?

Do analysts prefer MRK or GILD?

Is MRK or GILD more profitable?

Summary

How does Merck & Co., Inc. compare to Moderna?

Is MRK or MRNA more profitable?

Do analysts prefer MRK or MRNA?

Do insiders and institutionals hold more shares of MRK or MRNA?

Which has stronger earnings & valuation, MRK or MRNA?

Does the media favor MRK or MRNA?

Which has more risk & volatility, MRK or MRNA?

Summary

How does Merck & Co., Inc. compare to Vertex Pharmaceuticals?

Do analysts recommend MRK or VRTX?

Is MRK or VRTX more profitable?

Do insiders & institutionals have more ownership in MRK or VRTX?

Does the media refer more to MRK or VRTX?

Which has more risk & volatility, MRK or VRTX?

Which has preferable earnings and valuation, MRK or VRTX?

Summary

How does Merck & Co., Inc. compare to AbbVie?

Do insiders and institutionals hold more shares of ABBV or MRK?

Does the media refer more to ABBV or MRK?

Do analysts recommend ABBV or MRK?

Which has better earnings & valuation, ABBV or MRK?

Is ABBV or MRK more profitable?

Which has more risk & volatility, ABBV or MRK?

Is ABBV or MRK a better dividend stock?

Summary

New MarketBeat Followers Over Time

Media Sentiment Over Time

MRK vs. The Competition

Merck & Co., Inc. Competitors List

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